Firefighters were putting out a blaze at the plant when the explosion occurred. Since the explosion, officials have been evacuating buildings and homes in the surrounding area.

The explosion reached a local nursing home and some people may have been trapped inside.

"It was a like a nuclear bomb went off," Mayor Tommy Muska told CNN. "Big old mushroom cloud. There are a lot of people that got hurt. There are a lot of people that will not be here tomorrow."

West Mayor Pro-tem Steve Vanek told the Waco Tribune, when asked about the status of the firefighters who were battling the fire when the explosion took place: “I fear for the worst, but I’m praying for the best.”